WORLD ENGINEERS DAY SPECIAL NV 17Friday, March 11, 2022

INNOVATIONS32 3431

SUSTAINABILITY INVESTIGATIONENGINEERING SOLUTIONS AT WORKS

ENGINEERING CITIES FOR THE FUTURE

WHY BUILDINGS ARE COLLAPSING

BUILD BETTER FOR TOMORROW

SuStainable citieS - 31engineering innovationS -32ict influence on engineering - 33Why buildingS collapSe - 34local engineerS Want priority in govt projectS - 37

Advertiser supplement Friday, March 11, 202218

By Denis Nsubuga

Uganda’s transformation into a modern and prosperous country will require a

deliberate effort and ingenuity of its engineering community. This was the message of Vice-President Jessica Alupo at the World Engineering Day held at Hotel Africana on Friday last week.

Alupo said it has always been the role of the engineers, technologists and technicians to plan, design, develop, operate and maintain the physical infrastructure, technology and systems that are required for the country to achieve the aspirations of Vision 2040. The vision is currently being implemented under the third National Development Plan (NDPIII), which runs from 2020-2025.

While officiating the four-day event which converged various stakeholders in the engineering field, Alupo saluted the engineering professionals for their contribution towards the country’s transformation in physical infrastructure, technology and systems.

She highlighted the various developments, including the increase of total paved roads network to over 5,000km, increase of electricity generation capacity from 600MW to 1,800MW and increase in access to safe water supply to 70% in rural and 74% in urban areas.

Others, Alupo said, are increased telephone subscriptions from 20.5 million in 2015 to 23.2 million in 2017, resulting in a teledensity of 66.9% and increase in the number of internet users from 6.2 million users in 2015 to 9.8 million users in 2017.

“All these achievements would not have been possible for government without the engineering work done by engineering professionals behind the scenes,” she said.

NatioNal DevelopmeNtWorld Engineering Day was designated by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2019 to celebrate engineering and the contribution of engineers towards a better and sustainable world.

According to Waiswa Bageya, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Works and Transport, it offers an opportunity to highlight engineers and engineering achievements in the world and improve public understanding of how engineering and technology facilitate sustainable development and transformation of any nation.

The second edition of the day’s national celebrations in Uganda was held under the theme Build Back Wiser – Engineering the Future.

Bageya said the theme requires all stakeholders to reflect on how engineering and engineering professionals have

regulatory framework, which will repeal outdated laws and enact new ones where they may be lacking.

StreNgtheN regulatioNAlupo said the government will continue working with other stakeholders, including the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) and the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers to review the Engineers Registration Act, 1969 for legislative action to be undertaken.

Alupo further promised that the government will continuously improve the education and training of engineering professionals, right from universities and tertiary institutions, with emphasis on practical training, through graduate internship and pupillage.

“We shall promote continuous professional development to ensure that we have well-trained and experienced engineering professionals that are capable of contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of Ugandans and the country’s sustainable development,” Alupo said.

StaNDarDSAlupo noted that the government, through the line ministries, will undertake the regular update of engineering standards for design and construction of roads, buildings, water works and other public infrastructure, to ensure that engineering in Uganda is practiced using up-to-date design codes, specifications and

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Katumba Wamala (left) and Alupo during the World Engineering Day celebrations at Hotel Africana in Kampala, recently

EnginEEring to drivE modErn Uganda

been utilised in this country in the past to contribute to national development, lessons learnt from the past and how we can best improve on our infrastructure to withstand any form of attack.

Eng. Samson Bagonza, the chief engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, in a keynote address said engineering and national development go hand-in-hand, with engineering being the enabler of national development.

“There cannot be meaningful economic growth in a country without the impact of engineering. Engineering has a direct relationship with development and national development is measured

largely by the quality of engineering activities and level of infrastructure development,” he said, recommending the

engineering index to be adopted by the National Planning Authority as a key development indicator in Uganda.

The Vice-President acknowledged various challenges, including the low registration rate of engineering professionals, with only 1,400 registered engineers for a population of more than 45 million Ugandans. She also said there are too many in the informal sector and unprofessional practices, such as shoddy work and poor quality of engineering goods, works and services; and emerging engineering disciplines.

Alupo said addressing some of the challenges will require the improvement of the policy and

There cannoT be meaningful economic growTh in a counTry wiThouT The impacT of engineering.

Kyambogo University engineering, students undergoing training. Alupo said the Government will continue improving the education and training of engineering professionals

Advertiser supplement Friday, March 11, 202219

EnginEEring to drivE modErn Uganda NV

guidelines.The minister of works and

Transport, Katumba wamala, said the government plans to further develop and regulate the construction industry, where many engineers work and practice.

He said the ERB, National Building Review Board (NBRB) and other regulatory bodies will be supported to strengthen their

regulation and control roles for better professional services.

wamala said the establishment of district building committees will improve enforcement of building control nation-wide, strengthen research in the construction industry, as well as promote constructive dialogue among key stakeholders.

He announced that the Engineers Registration Act (1969)

is being repealed to provide for a stronger and effective legal framework that will address the present challenges, such as the current low registration rate, poor access to industrial training and internship opportunities by engineering students, an informal sector characterised by unprofessional practices, as well as shoddy and poor quality of work and services.

The Karuma-Olwiyo road during its grade. National development is measured largely by the quality of engineering activities and level of infrastructural development

“Under NDPIII, there is focus on promotion of local content in the construction industry, access to affordable credit, access to construction equipment, construction industry skills development, and promotion of large scale production of construction materials,” Katumba Wamala said.

He said the works and transport ministry is also closely working with the finance ministry to ensure promotion of local content.

In pursuit of the ministry’s mandate to improve the development and regulation of the national construction industry, Wamala recently appointed and inaugurated members of the Construction Industry Development Committee (CIDC), to advise on matters related to the construction industry.

CIDC has 11 members, derived from both public and private sectors. Upon

its launch last year, it was tasked with devising ways of promoting local content on major construction projects.

Wamala encouraged engineers to focus on the opportunities and achieving the objectives of the NDP III, which is structured into 18 programmes that have been designed to deliver the required results under this plan.

He emphasised the fact that engineers are at the centre of the implementation of at least 12 out the 18 programmes.

“Engineers should always be well-versed with the country’s development opportunities and challenges, especially in relation to the practice of engineering and advise government accordingly. The government shall make incremental changes to the policy and legal framework and ensure that engineers are given space to practice,” he said.

Creating opportunities

“Government is at the fore-front of ensuring that engineering professionals are adequately trained, facilitated, remunerated and offered opportunities to provide the best professional services to their country,”

wamala said. He said the Construction

Industry Regulation and Development Bill is under preparation and will “be enacted into law in the near future”.

Advertiser supplement Friday, March 11, 202220

By David Lukiiza

Developing countries can no longer fulfil all their social and regulatory services

by themselves, especially in rural areas, because of the rapid expansion and the need to reach the mass media, as well as the need for improved techniques for the interpersonal exchange of ideas.

Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo, the executive director of Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), in a statement read during the World Engineering Day celebrations at Hotel Africana in Kampala last week, said for effective service delivery, the entity is ready and willing to work with all stakeholders to promote ICT innovation for a brighter future for all.

“As a commission, we are ready and willing to work with all ICT stakeholders, including the academia, engineering professional bodies, manufacturers, telecommunications equipment vendors and telecommunications operators, among others.

“As part of the UCC achievements, the radio

opportunities, which include the promotion of effective and sustainable competition, availability of a wide range of communications services and promotion of ICT innovations.

Some of the roles assigned to UCC include allocation of licences, standardisation and management of the use of radio frequency spectrum resources in a manner that ensures the widest variety of programming and optimal utilisation of resources.

UCC ensures promotion of research into the development and use of new communications

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Works and transport minister Katumba Wamala (left) and Vice-President Jessica Alupo during the World Engineering Day celebrations at Hotel Africana in Kampala, recently

EnginEEring a DrivEr for communications

frequency spectrum, which is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, has improved from 1Hz to 3000GHz, which is an infinite natural resource that is pivotal to societal development today and for the future,” she said.

Sewankambo further stressed

that as Uganda celebrates Engineering Day, UCC has ensured minimum interference and eliminated unauthorised and improper use of the spectrum.

“The spectrum management suffers technical and administrative trials, some of

which include monitoring of compliance, interference and illegal users, among others,” she said.

OppOrtunitiesSewankambo, however, noted that these challenges present

UCC ensUres promotion of researCh into the development and Use of new CommUniCations teChniqUes

Advertiser supplement Friday, March 11, 202221

EnginEEring a drivEr for communications Eng. Moses Murengezi, an advisor at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, said the

main purpose of the power reforms was to attract private sector capital into the generation and distribution segments of the sector to increase access to electricity, reduce power system losses, improve system reliability and cause national transformation.

“The unbundling of Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) into Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) and Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) as UEB successor companies and putting in place an independent Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) along with the building of Bujagali and other power plants, has resulted in over $2b worth of investments in the power sector by private investors,” he said.

Due to these reforms brought about by the engineering sector, Murengezi said power distribution losses have reduced from 38% in 2002 to around 15% today.

He added that Uganda needs to begin moving away from biomass as a primary source of energy, and the available renewable energy sources need to be harnessed for social economic development.

RefoRms made

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BIMS, the Engineers new lease of life.The Building Industry in Uganda is steadily advancing despite the disruptions caused by Covid-19 pandemic. The high demand for housing facilities accounts for this growth.However, the pace at which the sector is growing does not correspond to the number of professionals; Engineers, Architects and Surveyors to ensure sanity. This gap has been exploited by unqualifi ed personnel commonly referred to as “fundis/ Yinginiyas” without technical expertise to manage building sites. This in addition to poor workmanship and substandard materials have been identifi ed as the leading causes of building related accidents.

BIMS as a SolutionIf we are to have a safe and well-built environment, technology must play a key role in monitoring and supervising of the sector. This is why the National Building Review Board (NBRB), a body mandated by law to carry out oversight role on the building sector, is championing this technological shift with the Building

Industry Management System (BIMS), an online platform digitizing all the building control services. With BIMS, a developer can apply for Building and Occupation permits, commit the services of registered professionals, schedule for routine building operation inspections and get instant feedback for the service requested for, online. All the prescribed building control fees are also paid for online since it is integrated with other online payment systems.

The fi rst online permit was issued in Kira Municipality on 23rd September 2021 and over 30 permits have been issued to-date. BIMS is also operational in Jinja City and now Kampala Capital City Authority.

How BIMS Benefi ts EngineersThe system is integrated with the databases of Engineers Registration Board (ERB). All registered Engineers that are allowed to practice engineering during any given year are now found on the system. Engineers can now confi rm preparation of the engineering drawings, request for routine inspection

and update the inspection booklet. Other professionals with whom Engineers work such as Surveyors and Architects are also catered for on the system. Architects using BIMS for example, can confi rm having prepared the submitted architectural drawings, hence acknowledging the architectural drawings as their work. With this shift, it is evident that if the professionals embrace the system, the quacks will be erased out of the building industry and put an end to the rampant building related accidents mainly attributed to the use of unqualifi ed personnel.

Other benefi ts BIMS is also integrated with the National Land Information System for purposes of land verifi cation. As a user of the system, your role is to indicate the plot number and specifi cations of the piece of land and the system will tell whether or not it is valid.

The fees to be paid for all building control services have also been automated. Ideally, the system helps: persons

monitoring building developments; developers to get the right services at the right time; and government to know the level of development in the country.

About NBRBThe National Building Review Board (NBRB) is a corporate body established by the Building Control Act, 2013. The NBRB, an agency under the Ministry of Works and Transport is mandated under section 9 of the Building Control Act, 2013 to monitor building developments, ensure design and construction of buildings are accessible by persons with disabilities, oversee and inspect the operations of the Building Committees, prepare and submit reports to the minister on matter relating to the sector.

The Board also hears and determines appeals from persons dissatisfi ed with the decisions of Building Committees and determines fees to be charged by urban and district building committees for approval of plans, issue of building permits and occupation permits.

WORLD ENGINEERING DAY 2022

For details visit our website https://nbrb.go.ug Call our Toll Free Number 0800,220,746 Or visit our other social media platforms

techniques and technologies, including those which promote accessibility for persons with disability and other members of society to communications services.

UCC also collaborates with educational institutions to promote specialised education in the field of communication.

SUSTAinABLE EnERGyAccording to the UN, sustainable energy should meet the needs of the present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

According to Eng. Moses Murengezi, an advisor at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, sustainable energy sources include wind, solar and water, as well as bioenergy and geothermal energy.

Murengezi said the change in global temperatures due to climate change is a threat to life on earth itself.

“While energy by itself is a major catalyst for development, some sources of energy negatively impact on development, hence the need to build back wiser,” he said.

Murengezi added that renewable energies, such as biomass lead to indoor pollution, which can cause lung disease hence are not classified as clean sources of energy.

He explained that nuclear energy could be a clean alternative to fossil fuels, the danger of nuclear accidents notwithstanding to the ozone

layer.Murengezi said through

engineering solutions, some alternatives have been designed to reduce greenhouse emissions, such as the Kakira Cogeneration project implemented to avoid chemical emissions from decaying matter and instead burning it to produce electricity. He also explained that Uganda’s main

source of energy is still biomass, which contributes over 88% of the total energy.

“Electricity, which is the cleanest form of energy, contributes around 2% of Uganda’s total energy balance,” he said.

In a quest to increase the use of electricity in Uganda, the Government undertook power sector reforms in 1999.

The Bujagali hydropower station high

voltage lines.

Electricity, which is the

cleanest form of energy,

contributes around 2%

of Uganda’s total energy

balance

advertiser supplementNV22 Friday, March 11, 2022

By David Lukiiza

The engineering profession and national development go hand-in-hand with the former being the enabler of the latter. This means there can be no meaningful economic growth in a country without engineering inputs.

According to Eng Samson Bagonza, the engineer-in-chief at the Ministry of works and Transport, engineering has a direct proportional relationship with development, as well as national development and the role of the engineers is always prime and fundamental.

“Today, there is a range of specialised engineering disciplines or fields of application, such as aerospace of chemical and process, civil and environmental computing and communication, electrical and electronics, energy and power, materials and mining; manufacturing and design, medical and bioengineering, transportation and mechanical,” he says.

The end result of all that today is seen in the bridges, dams, electricity distribution lines, roads, railways, buildings, water works, sewerage treatment plants, factories, automobiles, construction equipment, ships, aircraft, computers and

EnginEEring kEy in national growth B ac kg r o u n d

According to the Engineers Registration Board, there are about 1,400 registered

engineers for a population of more than 45 million Ugandans, which is considered to be low by the regional and international standards.

The number of registered engineers, however, does not constitute a conclusive measure of the strength and capacity of engineering in our country. Engineers, therefore, are required to reflect on their past experiences and see how to build back better as they engineer the future projects under the 12 NDPIII programmes.

Bagonza says Uganda, through the engineering sector, has transitioned from exploration and appraisal to new exploration for production of oil, with an estimate of 6.5 billion barrels of oil, of which 1.4 billion barrels are recoverable.

“There has also been construction of 700Km of oil roads, which are required to facilitate the production of petroleum,” he says.

electronic systems, among others.

“National development means sustainable increase in the living standards of inhabitants

of a country,” Bagonza says, adding that this has been evidenced by increased per capita income, better education and health provision of basic

social amenities, as well as environmental protection, energy maximisation, food transportation, shelter and effective waste management.

Bagonza also says government is working tooth and nail to ensure that natural resources are fully harnessed in order to create jobs and generate income for government for purposes of transformation of the society and development of the economy.

Currently, Uganda is implementing the National Development Plan III between 2021 and 2025.

It is being implemented through 18 programmes that have been designed to deliver results, 12 of which, according to Bagonza, have to be implemented by engineering professionals.

These programmes include agro-industrialisation, mineral development, sustainable development of petroleum resources, tourism development, climate change, natural resource, environment and water management among others.

UPDF engineering brigade assembling an armoured truck

ADVERTISER SUPPLEMENT NV31Friday, March 11, 2022

By Edward Kayiwa

As Uganda’s rural to urban migration continues to soar,

experts have advised the Government to plan for and promote sustainable growth of cities and urban centres across the country.

They say both town and city administrations must be more resilient and organised in the way they plan to support that growth, by minding population density per square area.

A sustainable city is one that can internally support all its inhabitants with a good quality of life, without imposing negative impacts on communities and eco-systems.

Lazarus Mugabi, the chief executive officer at Association of Real Estate Agents Uganda, says sustainable cities can offer solutions to accommodation challenges, especially in times of turmoil, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, should the Government deliberately promote their growth.

Mugabi says with the growing population, rethinking transport, drainage and housing, especially how a sustainable housing sector can be built, ought to be done.

“We must examine ways of pulling down costs in construction, and recover from the current economic effects of the pandemic. We must find a way of building investor confidence so we can access financing, but also make a mark up. We must look at ways of regulating the sector. But above all, we must plan with sustainability in mind, to make our cities livable, enjoyable, eco-friendly and healthy at the same time,” he says.

Long term pLanningMugabi says it is time for the Government to introduce effective long-term planning for both urban and suburban settlements, complete with social benefits.

He adds that organised settlement planning, coupled with an independent regulator, is the only way to have sanity in Ugandan cities, towns

and urban places.According to the Uganda

Bureau of Statistics (UBoS), the annual need for new houses stands at approximately 200,000 units, yet the construction rate of reasonably good houses is estimated at 60,000 units.

The World Bank 2015 housing report also projects Kampala to turn into an extended slum in the next seven years if investments in the real estate and housing sectors are not deepened.

Sustainability is not only needed in the housing and construction sector, but in every aspect of the engineering profession countrywide.

mathematicaL principLesEngineering is the application of scientific and mathematical principles to the design, construction, manufacture, maintenance, operation and servicing of efficient and economic infrastructure, technology,

entered the development phase.

reguLationUganda’s engineering practice is regulated by the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) in accordance with the Engineers Registration Act of 1969.

The Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers undertakes professional development of the engineers from the level of student, through graduate up to the corporate membership level, where they get registered with ERB.

Currently, there are only about 1,400 registered engineers out of a population of more than 45 million Ugandans, which is still considered low by regional and international standards.

When discussing national development, engineering is always pivotal, due to its influence on infrastructure, manufacturing, technology and education.

Eng. Tony Mugenyi, the chief materials engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, the component of sustainability must be embedded in every project cycle delivered in the country.

Mugenyi says such practice is for the safety of the future generations, ensuring that resources are not depleted that there is none left to satisfy the need for which they should be employed.

“Sustainable engineering is the design and construction of infrastructure, such as roads, to meet present needs without compromising on the future generation’s ability to meet their needs without compromising the natural environment.

“As engineers, we must try as much to minimise the social-environmental impact that our work can cause,” he says.

Mugenyi says much as engineers provide services to the public, they are also mandated to ensure that the future generations are safe and protected from the harmful impacts precipitated by unsustainable practices.

He adds that in engineering, sustainability is emphasised right from project conceptualisation, planning and all the way to execution.

ExpErts wAnt sustAinAblE citiEs

equipment, ships, aircraft, electrical fittings, computers and electronic systems and many more.

Samson Bagonza, the engineer-in-chief at the ministry of works, notes that sustainability is also emphasised in the engineering processes in the manufacturing sector, which consists predominantly, of last-stage (end-product) assembly and raw material processing.

He says sustainability is also observed in the energy sector where the country now has an installed electricity generation capacity of 1,360 MW, and the nascent oil and gas sector, which has just

Engineering professionals attending an event. Currently, there are only about 1,400 registered engineers out of a population of more than 45 million Ugandans, which is still considered low by regional and international standards

The World Bank 2015 housing reporT also projecTs kampala To Turn inTo an exTended slum in The nexT seven years if invesTmenTs in The real esTaTe and housing secTors are noT deepened.

modern sofTWareEng. Tony Mugenyi, the chief materials engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, says much attention is normally given to the construction phase because this is where the biggest impact is felt, should there be repercussions on the project.

He says today, engineers are borrowing a lot from technology and incorporating it in their various designs, by use of modern software, cameras and other tech aids in the design and execution of their projects.

“In the transport sector, for instance, we have built intelligent transport

systems like UBA, which are more efficient and cheaper, compared to traditional means. We have also built smart highways, fitted with cameras and chips, to direct drivers on the most convenient routes to use and traffic control lights,” he says.

In modern vehicles, technology is being used to detect danger ahead through the use of chips planted in the car.

On structure, Mugenyi says engineers have adopted the use of plastics as an alternative to non-renewable resources.

World Bank reporT

processes and systems. Today, the end results

of engineering are seen in the bridges, dams, electricity distribution lines, roads, railways, buildings, water works, sewage treatment plants, factories, automobiles, construction

Hon. Edward Katumba Wamala, th Minister of Works and Transport

NV32 Friday, March 11, 2022

By Edward Kayiwa

It is estimated that about four million people flock Kampala city daily for work, mainly from

neighbouring districts of Mukono, Wakiso and Mpigi, which form the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.

Most of them spend hours travelling to and from work due to traffic congestion and limited road networks within the metropolitan area.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) estimates that at least 24,000 man-hours are lost every day by commuters due to traffic jams. A man-hour is the amount of work performed by the average worker in one hour.

Traffic congesTionOver the years, the city’s population has grown and continues to increase. As a result, the traffic congestion persists and builds up, causing uproar from passengers who say the current means of transport are increasingly getting risky and more expensive.

To tame the situation, the Ministry of Works and Transport, working with stakeholders, such as KCCA, came up with a grand plan to develop modern infrastructure in the greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.

Tony Mugenyi, the chief materials engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, says a multimodal transport system in the city was designed because it is the most cost effective compared to other available

approaches. An effective multimodal

transport system is one where there is integration, and cross interplay, by the various modes of transport, including air, marine and land transport. Land transport comprises road, rail and pipeline transport.

Mugenyi notes that the plan to decongest the city entails tarmacking all the interior roads within the Greater Kampala, constructing flyovers and establishing light railway networks.

EngInEErIng InnovatIons

and cost-effective urban mobility through the provision of segregated right-of way infrastructure, rapid and frequent operations and excellence in marketing and customer service.

It is a systems-based approach that addresses all the essential components of passenger transport supply in a holistic manner and, hence, creates synergies that raise both its overall effectiveness and efficiency.

a policy and manual to guide all citizens in towns and urban centres on how to design and have green spaces.

Mugenyi said for sustainability to work, there must be an integration of the multimodal transport like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), an efficient railway system and an interlinked road network to serve the metropolitan.

BRT is a high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast, comfortable,

One of the automated vehicles pouring stones during the tarmacking of a road in Wakiso district. The ministry has embarked on the use of low-cost seals on gravel roads to reduce dust

Vice-President

Jessica Alupo inspecting an

engineering exhibition.

Authorities at the Ministry of Works and

Transport say the entity has

moved into recycling road

construction materials, especially

aggregate, to reduce costs

non-moTorised TransporTMugenyi said the ministry has also introduced non-motorised transport, as a means of decongesting the city, but also reducing pollution from motor vehicle emissions.

“When you reduce the number of vehicles in the city, you definitely reduce on the emissions, and increase on the sustainability of clean air in the city,” he said.

He said already, the ministry has come up with

RECYCLING MATERIALS

Eng. Tony Mugenyi, the chief materials engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, notes that the ministry has also moved into recycling of road construction materials, especially aggregate, to reduce the cost of construction.

“For so many years, we have been using stone aggregate to construct and often get rid of it when we are doing repairs.

“However, of late, we have moved into recycling these materials to create sustainability and reduce costs,” he says.

He adds that the ministry has also embarked on planting trees and use of low-cost seals on gravel roads to reduce dust and slipperiness.

Mugenyi says the ministry has also started using recycled plastics to get building panels, which are more sustainable compared to the ordinary ones.

The biggest challenge, he says, is for the new innovations getting accepted since human beings take time to embrace change.

“We have challenges of enforcement, absorption, dissemination, but with time, we shall get over them,” he adds.

In the recently launched third National Development Plan, government intends to concentrate on developing a multi-model system for the whole country as well, to inclusively tap into the domestic economic opportunities.

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The UPDF engineering brigade attending an event. To tame traffic congestion, the Ministry of Works and Transport, working with stakeholders, came up with a grand plan to develop modern infrastructure in the greater Kampala Metropolitan Area

ADVERTISER SUPPLEMENT NV33Friday, March 11, 2022

By Edward Kayiwa

For ages, the engineering profession has been looked at as a sophisticated

one, dealing mainly in building and construction of structures and things. Roads, buildings, aeroplanes and factories are all products of engineering, and have all played a remarkable role in easing life in the modern world.

Computers on the other hand are seen as tools which produce effects that are contained on microscopic chips and are thought by some, to be distinct from any engineering pursuits.

However, since the 1990s, the world has seen a strong merger between the two, leading to the widespread adoption of computer- aided technologies into traditional engineering fields.

As a result, engineers are definitely seeing a significant expansion of options they can employ in their pursuit of work.

Robust sectoR One of the key advantages computers have brought is the attachment of computer-aided technology in all the fields of engineering. The application of computer-aided design software, for instance, is now widely used in traditional industries, such as automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding, architectural projects and even special effects in movies.

Industries in Uganda have adopted the use of computer-aided technologies from conception, design and production of manufactured goods.

“This is making our manufacturing sector robust. Remember, the manufacturing sector is a fundamental path to economic growth and development, as it absorbs large swaths of workers and places them in productive and decent paying jobs,” Joel Kabanda, a civil and construction engineer, says.

He says with each advancement and growth in technology, the engineering profession is equally impacted, because technology and engineering are no longer inseparable.

In China, he says tech-based industrialisation has helped the country to transit into one of the world’s fastest growing economies, boasting the largest middle class, with only South East Asian countries following closely behind.

In Africa, despite a promising manufacturing potential, most countries have remained relatively deficient of tech-powered factories, missing the opportunity for economic transformation and quality employment generation.

He says in order for African countries to reach their manufacturing and industrial potential, much investment in ICT needs to be done by the public and private sectors, to increase the continent’s economic complexity, diversity, competitiveness and productivity.

Kabanda says building a modern manufacturing sector would contribute significantly to the accumulation of physical and human capital, by providing well-paying jobs to a large number of skilled,

semi-skilled and unskilled workers.

exponential gRowth In Uganda, the fourth industrial revolution characterised by ICT innovations, is expected to bring with it more than just new factories, but modern manufacturing to propel the country’s economy.

manufacturing arena is also increasingly adopting artificial intelligence to augment quality and precision in the production process.

He says in a scenario where the human labour force is increasingly getting cost-ineffective, manufacturers are being forced to employ technology, even though its initial cost of investment is too high.

“In places like Europe, labour is really expensive, and this pushes the cost of production up. In the global market, this makes their products uncompetitive. Machines are also the better choice in guaranteeing the quality of products, hence the new move to replace human jobs with machines,” he said

Mark Rubarenzya, the board chair of the Uganda institute of professional engineers, says ICT is not only influencing the manufacturing sector, but every aspect of engineering.

“ICT is driving the world, and this is evident in the way that people currently live and relate. Being that it is a product of engineering, it has affected engineering more than other sectors anywhere in the world,” he says.

leap-fRog technology According to the innovation village team leader, Japheth Kawanguzi, the current popularisation of the Internet, the universal existence of sensors, the emergence of big data, development of e-commerce, rise of the information community and the interconnection and fusion of data and knowledge with society, makes it possible for industries in Uganda to leap frog technology.

He says it is, however, possible for the country to leap frog into the modern technology-based engineering production, if engineering can invest in the technology.

But for Daniel Birungi, the executive director at the Uganda Manufacturers Association, the increasing deployment of tech-enabled machines in all engineering designs is precipitated by the need for faster product development cycles, with estimates that agile processes will deliver faster results.

ICT InFluenCe on engIneerIng

because of the revelations they had during the lockdown.

In the new normal triggered by COVID-19, investment in technology, including artificial intelligence and robotics to increase efficiency in operations, is one of the strategies manufacturers are employing to survive.

This is because the pandemic has posed critical challenges that require advancements in ICT to solve and sustain their supply chains.

Experts say the deployment of machines with intelligent robotic abilities minimises the human workforce, improves efficiency and simplifies the whole manufacturing system.

For instance, where a task previously required several persons to accomplish, manufacturers say they only need one robot per task.

aRtificial intelligence According to Dr Martin Kyeyune, the finance and economic advisor at Roofings, the global

The fourth industrial revolution characterised by ICT innovations is expected to bring with it more than just new factories, but modern manufacturing to propel the country’s economy

According to Rosa Malango, the former United Nations Resident Coordinator for Uganda, the country’s industrial sector registered an exponential growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She says many manufacturers have even started developing more localised supply chains

New curriculum

mark Rubarenzya, the board chair of the Uganda institute of professional engineers, says iCT has greatly impacted engineering to the end that today, a specific arm, ICT engineering, which produces systems engineers, has been

introduced to the university curriculum. The use of technology in engineering has led to the opening of

territorial boundaries and, now, people from opposite ends of the earth can communicate in real time.

Rubarenzya says it has also enabled the move from blue print to 3D design and manufacturing in all aspects of engineering. in the past, inventing transportation equipment required a trial-and-error process and multiple prototypes, which took a lot of time, but because of real time innovation, this has greatly changed.

He says through digitisation, engineers are able to tell performance of equipment in the field, thus allowing them to consider improvements through data algorithms rather than years or decades of physical work.

“Tech is also helping us to cut costs because at a time like this, everyone is looking at cutting costs. Engineering firms are now using tech to cut these costs and the time taken to produce a new product,” he says.

DeploymeNt of machiNes with iNtelligeNt robotic abilities miNimises humaN workforce

NV34 Friday, March 11, 2022

By Edward Kayiwa

As Uganda’s economy continues to grow, population in

the capital, Kampala has also grown exponentially, reaching an explosion precipitated by rural urban migration in part, and the high fertility recorded for the average Ugandan woman.

Kampala’s growth, according to experts, is outstripping the supply of the needed resources, forcing authorities to focus on housing, hence the city’s ongoing remarkable urban transformation.

Cost of rapid growth The city’s skyline is now being painted with enormous skyscrapers, from corner to corner, which although credited for modernity, are also responsible for several lives lost.

For instance, in spite of a multitude of magnificent buildings that were erected last year, many of them were also responsible for the loss of lives, such as the Makerere building which collapsed in April, killing one of the builders on the spot. In September, another building collapsed in Kisenyi, killing at least three on the spot.

This has forced critics and experts to ask whether the incidents are mere coincidences or an indication of an underlying problem that must be looked into.

EntEr quaCks According to the Uganda Institute of professional Engineers (UIpE), every building has a lifetime and, unless it is built on stone, it is likely to disintegrate after it comes to its life’s end.

However, the collapse of any infrastructure before its completion or lifespan is an anomaly, that in most cases, comes due to a multitude of reasons.

“One of the reasons is the proliferation of quacks, who after working on a site for a number of years, and learning on the job working as either porters or masons, get contracts for commercial structures,” Mark Rubarenzya, UIpE chairman, says.

According to Rubarenzya,

it is only a matter of time before structures erected by such quacks come down, and, sadly, each time they collapse, lives are lost.

He says in Kampala alone, the number of quacks is overwhelmingly high, which calls for the regulator, the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) to take action.

According to the Engineers Registration Act of 1967, the ERB is empowered to provide for the registration of engineers, and resolving of matters connected to or incidental to the engineering profession in Uganda.

Rubarenzya explains that graduating from university with a degree in engineering does not necessarily turn one into a registered engineer, but until they are assessed and admitted as regulated, competent and trusted practitioners by the regulator.

“It is important if people first check in the gazette to see if the so-called engineer is qualified to do the job they say they can,” he says.

quality of matErials The other common cause of collapsing buildings is tied to the quality of the materials used.

According to Rubarenzya, these should be tested before use on any infrastructure, to see if they comply with the

WhY BUILDINGS COLLAPSE

engineers, we at times find it hard to test the quality from the vendors’ premises,” he says.

Because ordinary people cannot tell the difference between quality and substandard steel bars, cement, sand and electric cables and appliances, Rubarenzya says the onus falls squarely on UNBS to regulate the market.

Cutting Costs Arthur Mukembo, the managing director of Remax Uganda, says sometimes the blame goes to the project owners and managers, because in wanting to cut costs, they unknowingly employ unqualified people.

He says other times, the problem is in the foundation, where, for instance, the soil structure is week to support a heavy building.

Mukembo says: ”A strong foundation is a must to ensure the strength of a building. if you lose this, you lose the building all together.”

He says in the business of construction, the strength of the building

The other common cause of collapsing buildings is tied to the quality of the materials used. According to Rubarenzya, these should be tested before use on any infrastructure, to see if they comply with the building

standards. He says there are many fake building materials on the market, and, at times, even qualified engineers find it hard to tell the difference. “We need a crackdown by the standards regulator, UNBS, because as engineers, we at times find it hard to test the quality from the vendors’ premises,” he says. Because ordinary people cannot tell the difference between quality and substandard steel bars, cement, sand and electric cables and appliances, Rubarenzya says the onus falls on UNBS to regulate the market.

should be tested at every stage, in accordance with the building laws, but because of corruption, carelessness, and failure to enforce the law, this is not done.

poor dEsign Additionally, Mukembo says most of the collapsed buildings in Kampala have also been linked to poor design and wrong construction methods.

“This vulnerability can be addressed by strengthening interventions to enforce compliance to the laws and regulations pertaining to the erection of buildings.

“In the event that a building collapses, the investigators look beyond the engineering defects and other underlying non-engineering issues that could have led to the problem,” he says.

He says the Kampala Capital City Authority should also ensure that the developers fulfil all building requirements before getting a construction permit issued by the directorate of physical planning.

building standards. He says there are many

fake building materials on the market, and, at times, even qualified engineers find it hard to tell the difference.

“We need a crackdown by the standards regulator, UNBS, because as

QUALITY OF MATERIALS

The Police and other rescue workers trying to remove debris from a collapsed building at Upper Kkonge in Makindye, Kampala, in 2010

ADVERTISER SUPPLEMENT

ADVERTISER SUPPLEMENT NEWVISION 35Friday, March 11, 2022

ADVERTISER SUPPLEMENTNV36 Friday, March 11, 2022

By Joseph Bahingwire

L ike all professions celebrate their contribution to national and global

development, last Friday, the engineering fraternity across the globe came together to commemorate the World Engineers Day.

The World Engineers Day was gazetted in 2019 by UNESCO as a way to recognise the role engineers play in the transformation of our communities.

The development and economic growth of any country is usually exhibited in the amount and quality of engineering done in that country and thus if Uganda is to develop and achieve the National Development Plan III and the Vision 2040, the engineering fraternity should be at the forefront of the development agenda.

Key playersEng. Ronald Namugera, the Registrar of the Engineers Registration Board, says to transform Uganda’s economy from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country in the next 30 years, the engineering fraternity should be at the forefront since 12 out of the 18 programmes under NDPIII, are all engineering-based.

Engineers in Uganda joined their counterparts countrywide to celebrate the World Engineering Day under the theme; Build Back Wiser — Engineering the future.

“As we celebrate this day, we want to bring it to the public and government’s attention, that engineering will have an upper hand if NDPIII and Vision 2040 are to be achieved. We thus expect the public and government to accord the engineering fraternity a conducive environment that will enable us to effectively participate and facilitate economic development,” Namugera said.

He said they should be allowed to participate in policy formulation, policy development, technical guidance, as well as project execution as long as they have all the requirements needed for a particular project.

“We want the government to give our member engineers priority when

it comes to project execution, instead of awarding contracts to foreigners. Our members

are certified and registered after confirming their ability to effectively deliver and, therefore, can undertake the government projects,” he adds.

professionalismAs part of the mechanism to ensure professionalism,

of ERB and UIPE who then recommend one’s professional registration with ERB that gives him a unique registration number and other instruments allowing him or her to practice legally as an engineer,” he adds.

The ERB is established under the Engineers Registration Act Cap 271, as a statutory body with a mission to regulate and control engineers and their profession within Uganda.

The function of the Board is to regulate and control engineers and their activities within Uganda, and to advise Government in relation thereto.

It has wide ranging powers to register, deregister, restore registration, suspend registration, hold inquiries, hear appeals and appear as respondents against a case brought against it in the High Court.

Eng. Dr Florence Lubwama Kiyingi, the Vice-Chairperson of ERB, says the Build Back Wiser- Engineering the future alludes to building from the past experiences as you look to the future.

She says the day was designated by the UNESCO in 2019, to recognise the importance of the engineering sector.

“As a country, this is the second year we are celebrating this day. We hope that we shall be having it annually so that the engineering profession will be appreciated more,” she said.

LOCAL ENGINEERS WANT PRIORITY IN GOVT PROJECTS

Registration Board (ERB) was established in 1969 and, over the last eight years, it has grown from 500 to 1,500 members, a trend which shows more engineers registered and are practising as certified engineers regulated by ERB.

On qualification, Namugera says to qualify as a certified engineer, one must have a bachelor’s degree in engineering as a basic qualification and go through professional training — pupilage training for two years and post pupilage training under a certified or registered engineer for another two years.

“The graduate engineer then writes a career or technical report on a project where he or she has exhibited independent engineering judgment through innovation, design, implementation and project implementation and execution.

The report is then presented to a joint panel

Chairman of the Engineers Registration Board Isaac Mutenyo and Minister of Works and Transport Edward Katumba Wamala handing over an award to Vice-President Jessica Alupo (left) during the World Engineering Day at Hotel Africana in Kampala, last Friday

fake practitionersFlorence Lubwama Kiyingi, the vice-chairperson of ERB, adds that the issue of fake practitioners who masquerade as engineers can be solved through concerted efforts by both the engineers’ professional bodies and the public.

“We have always sensitised and informed people about the need to deal with registered engineers, but some have remained adamant. This has led to the employment of quacks, which, in the long run, becomes expensive in case the project collapses,” Lubwama notes.

The list of certified or registered members is usually published on the Engineers’ Registration Board website (www.erb.go.ug) and in the Uganda Gazette.

Lubwama calls upon investors to always cross check with them before hiring engineers to be sure that they are hiring genuine ones.

Namugera says they have an ethical code of conduct that governs all the practising engineers, as well as a disciplinary committee whose task is to punish those who act contrary to the set ethical standards.

The Engineers

to qualify as a certified engineer, one must have a bachelor’s degree in engineeringphoTo By MaRy KansiiME

Lubwama

Namugera

By Joseph Bahingwire and Sarah Nabakooza

United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) in 2019 designated every March 4, to commemorate and highlight engineers’ achievements around the world.

Accordingly, the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE) joined professionals from the rest of the world last week and improve the public’s understanding of the importance of engineering and technology.

Diverse DisciplinesBen Kyemba, the UIPE president, says for any country to achieve development, the engineering sector must play a key role, since there are many specialised engineering disciplines that are vital to development and social economic transformation.

These include civil, environmental, computing and communication, electrical and electronics, energy and power, materials and mining, manufacturing and design, biomedical engineering, transportation and mechanical, among others.

Kyemba adds that over the years, Uganda has seen a rise in the number of registered engineers, with the number currently around 1,500, which is a sign of development in the profession, though still low compared to the other members in the region and internationally.

“In line with the theme this year, the government, the Engineers Registration Board (ERB), UIPE, the private sector, engineering fraternity, universities and tertiary institutions, as well as the other stakeholders, need to think of strengthening engineering in Uganda, since engineers play a significant role in the development of a country,” he says.

On the issue of quack practitioners and collapsing

construction projects, Kyemba argues no single incidence has been attributed to any of their members.

“Over and over again, we have investigated and no single site involved a registered professional engineer. There are so many causes of such incidents, but none of our members has ever been criminalised. It is the masqueraders who call themselves engineers, causing all this chaos, but as professionals, we want to intensify regulation through ERB to put strict mechanisms through monitoring the activities of engineers,” he adds.

Mentorship The UIPE was established as an association of professional engineers in

ENGINEERING KEY TO NATIONAL DEVT

“Our plans are in our five-year strategic plan as an institution. We have outlined in detail where we want to be in the medium term, but in summation, our major driver has been to greatly increase on our numbers and also increase the relevance of the institution within the region and worldwide and increase participation of more women in the engineering profession, not only in practice, but also in encouraging those who can look at it as a career,” says Dr Geoffrey Ogwang, the UIPE vice-president in charge of ethics.

“We have been experiencing low numbers, universities and technical colleges are passing out many engineering graduates, but the response rate for people to join the institution has been a big challenge. Therefore, we have embarked on a sensitisation drive and are also weeding out masqueraders, who claim to be professionals, destroying the reputation of the institution,” he says.

Strategic plan

engineering courses at the university, fellows who are senior engineers, corporates, graduates who have just finished university, technologists, people with higher national diplomas and technicians.

“We offer mentorship to our people and have dedicated graduate training programmes for our fresh graduate members to place them on projects whereby they can get skills and carry out outreaches in secondary schools to encourage young people to recognise the importance of engineering and also encourage them to pursue a career in it,” Kyemba adds.

To create awareness among the public, UIPE has opened branches across the country. They currently have branches in West Nile, Jinja, Kampala, Mbarara, Lira, Soroti and Mbale.

“Branches are the eyes of the institution in their areas of jurisdiction. Because of the recent development in the country, moving forward, we shall align our branches with the cities because we know that development starts from the city, then it moves outwards,” he adds.

With the country going into oil production, the

engineering fraternity is set to eat big since most of the opportunities in the oil sector are engineering-led.

opportunities Andrew Muhwezi, the UIPE vice-president in charge of education and training, says their members are prepared to tap into the opportunities in the oil and petroleum sector, adding that it provides a good chance for their members to get employment.

“We are trying to see to it that we become more organised, ensure that only the rightful people get the chance to do these projects. We do not want scenarios where thugs are let in.

“There should also be a deliberate policy to help our local engineers because we find that some of these projects are multimillion, yet local companies and engineers lack the financial muscle. So, there should be an affirmative action to help our engineers get the finances required to do such projects,” he says.

institution boasts many achievements, such as growth in membership in different categories, including students doing

1972, as a successor to the defunct East Africa Institution of Engineers (EAIE), that started in 1945.

Kyemba says the

there are currently about 1,500 registered engineers in the country

An engineer studying a structure’s plan. Over the years, Uganda has seen a rise in the number of registered engineers

Muhwezi also acknowledges that the engineering profession is growing, having moved away from the civil, mechanical and electrical, and breaking

into different disciplines, such as biotechnology, biomedical, petroleum and chemical.

Sarah Semyano, a council member on the committee for women engineers, says they have also introduced a graduate training programme that is targeting to place 200 graduates in different institutions and companies, for training.

These are people who do not have jobs, but have skills that are required in the market.

“As Women Engineers Technician and Technologists (WETT), we encourage and support graduates by attaching them to contractors. We also have the student innovation fund, whose aim is to encourage students to be innovative through supporting their projects.”

growing profession

Advertiser supplement 37Friday, March 11, 2022NV

UIPE President Ben KyembaEng. Dr Sarah Semyano